November 14, 2010

Meeks jumps in Chicago mayoral contest

Pastor and state Sen. James T. Meeks entered the Chicago mayoral race today with a speech that was part sermon and part politics, declaring he would unify the city and make public education a priority.

"A city that really works must have a leader," Meeks told supporters gathered at a University of Illinois-Chicago auditorium. "A leader who can't take Chicago Public Schools blaming the teachers union. . . Whites blaming African-Americans and African-Americans blaming Hispanics. . . The South Side blaming the West Side. . . Cubs fans blaming White Sox fans."

"We need new leadership, a leader with compassion, a unifier who will bring people together."

Meeks was the second big-name candidate to enter the race today. U.S. Rep. Danny Davis made his bid official at a morning news conference. On Saturday, former White House chief of staff Rahm Emanuel entered the race.

Like other candidates, Meeks ticked off a laundry list of issues facing the city.

"What are the main components of a city that works? Painted buildings, paved streets, trim lawns, red light cameras," he said. "A city is much more than lawns, streets, buildings and paint. A city is a place where people live. . . raise their families. . . careers are started. . . dreams are fulfilled. For a city to work, it must have good schools. Education must be a priority."

Chicago should have the goal to provide a job for "every head of household in the city," Meeks said. "Everybody that's struggling to put food on tables. In order to do that we need a strong private sector."

Chicago must bring spending in line with its revenues. "We must clean up our fiscal house."

Meeks advocated for more community policing and said there was a "need to stop the hostility that exists between the people and police."

At the end of the announcement Meeks passed around buckets to collect campaign donations, joking that "I know how to do this from my earlier life."

Meek' mayoral announcement was the splashiest and most choreographed of the weekend, similar to the productions he stages at his massive Salem Baptist Church, on the South Side.

A seven-piece band played on the stage of UIC's Forum, where hundreds of supporters waved campaigns signs that read "Leadership for change, Meeks for Mayor" and sported blue T-shirts that read "people first".

An opening prayer was delivered first in Spanish and then English before several songs were performed, including "God Bless America" and "Wind Beneath My Wings." Meeks did not walk on stage until 7:25, more than an hour into his scheduled event.

Earlier in the day, at Salem Baptist, Meeks seemed to alluded to the mayor's race during services when he told his parishioners it was a "big day." His Bible reading from the Gospel of John told the story of Jesus feeding 5,000 people with five loaves of bread and two fish.

The multitude wanted to take Jesus “by force and make him a king because somebody recognized what godly leadership could do,” Meeks said, prompting cheers from his parishioners.

“I believe that the reason that they wanted to take him by force and make him a king is because somebody had read, ‘When the righteous rule, the people rejoice.’ I only have one question this morning: if the Bible says, ‘When the righteous rule, the people rejoice,’ don’t the righteous have to run in order for them to rule?” he asked his congregation.

“Ain’t nobody just going to give the righteous no throne. Ain’t nobody just going to give the righteous no office. The righteous got to run just like the unrighteous," Meeks said.

All 50 aldermen on the Chicago City Council had to file paperwork earlier this year detailing their outside income and gifts. The Tribune took that ethics paperwork and posted the information here for you to see. You can search by ward number or alderman's last name.

The Cook County Assessor's office has put together lists of projected median property tax bills for all suburban towns and city neighborhoods. We've posted them for you to get a look at who's paying more and who's paying less.

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